Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-03
FROM SIBERIAN WILDS.
Story of Vincent, the Sole Survivor of the
Wrecked Wha1er Napoleon.

Wrecked Whaler Napoleon.
The revenue cutter Bear arrived from the
Arctic on Saturday last having on board
James B. Vincent, the sole survivor of the
crew of the whaler Napoleon, wrecked up
ward of two years ago Of the Siberian
coast. The Call interviewed Vincent (who
is described as man of about twenty-eight
years and of fine physique), who told the
following story of his life with the natives
since his vessel was wrecked until his res
cue by the Bear
left this port on December 10, 1884, on
board the whaling bark Napoleon, Samuel
b. Smith master. | shipped as a boat
steerer. We went to Honolulu first, and
then proceeded north to the Arctic. At
P. NJ. on May ., 1885, we were wrecked on
an ice-fioe forty miles from Cape Navarin,
on the Siberian shore. The crew of thirty
six men were divided into four boats-nine
in each. We were not able to save any
food or extra clothing from the vessel. l
was in the first mates boat. The boats
kept together that night and the following
night on the edge of the ice. On the next
day we separated during a violent snow
| storm, accompanied by heavy sea- Two
| days afterwards my boat fell in with the
third mates boat and we kept together
and in the course of few DAYS we sighted
land, about fifty miles southwest of Cape
Navarin, and tried to reach it, but got
| jammed in the ice.
TERRIBLE SUFFERING.
The ice closed around us and we were
compelled to stay there twenty-six days.
| We had no provisions on the boats from the
ship at all. We caught two small seals,
| which lasted us for five days, and that is all
lx.-n serl,f ha1 To Al
whole time. The crews suffered severely
from hunger, frost bites and exhaustion.
During the twensy-six days On the ice nine
| of our number died, two in my boat and
| seven in the other. Our chief mate Wilson
Rogers, went crazy and we were compelled
to tie him. AT the close of the twenty
| sixth day the ice separated and allowed us
| to get to land, which we did with great
difficulty, all being thoroughly exhausted
On the 10th of June, thirty-six days from
the time of leaving the wrecked ship, we
landed at an Indian village. We were the
| first white men the Indians there had ever
seen. Cape Navarin is in latitude go 80
north, longitude 1899 east, and whalers
never touch there. The Indians received
US with extreme kindness. Nine of US
landed. The next day five died, their
feet and other limbs having dropped of
from frost-bite, and from starvation, ETC.
The survivors stayed there during the sum-
mer, living as the Indians did, ON fish en-
tirely The Indians are known as the
| Chow Chouans or deer men" | being best
able TO travel and not having been FROST
bitten, it was decided that l should try to
reach Plover Bay or some point north in
order to speak whale-shjp if possible.
A LONELY VOYAGE.
| started with a deer sledge and twenty
IL i
kill with the IL. When we got to the
mountains, forty miles from the coast, the
Indians refused to proceed and / had to
return to the coast. | arrived at the coast
again on the 1st of March, and found nv
companions nearly dead from scurvy.
They told me they had suffered severely
during my absence during the winter.
They had written a letter and sent it to
Cape Navarin by an Indian to give to some
whaling ship, supposing l would reach my
destination. My name was not mentioned
in the letter. Three days after | arrived
one man, a Portuguese, died, and the fol-
lowing day Mate Rogers and the carpenter
died. They were buried by the natives. In
June, 1856, the Russian whaling brig ST.
IBERIA, Captain Lincoln, received the letter
sent to Cape Navarin. and at once went
to rescue the men mentioned in it. He
arrived at a village about thirteen miles
north OF where we were and inquired for
Rogers, and native told him that all the
men were dead, the whole crew. They
told him | was in the country, and men
toned my name, Vincent, and he con-
founded it with venison, and said he did
not want any
yIFCENT's SIGN BOARD.
During the winter l went $50 miles in
land, and gave an Indian piece of board
on which l cut with knife the following
1887. ]. B. V. to b.
B. AGO.
B. K. NAP. GIVE.
REVERSE.
5. W. C. NAV
10. NJ.
HELP. COME
An Indian carried the board to Cane
Behring ESQ miles,, where he boarded the
whaling bark Hunter, Captain Logan, who
| gave him presents and carried the letter
and gave it to Captain Healey at Port
Clarence, who Immediately started for
Cape Nayarin and sent boating parties in
| search of me in charge of Lieutenants
Hamlet and Kennedy, who found me.
The Bear was the first vessel had seen in
twenty-six months,>and her crew the first
men had seen in the same length of time
| was taken oil board the Bear on the 18th
of july